I may never understand my attraction so some things, one is photos shot in shallow depth of field of old handles that grace the old palaces of the world. I can probable at this point put together a book of the worlds greatest things to “grab and open stuff”. Here is another such example of my odd affection for these rings and knobs from Marrakech, Morocco.
I don’t think until my travels this year to Morocco and Arizona did I fully realize the beauty of the desert. What from a far seems barren and lifeless is minimalism and essence, pure form. It is a place teaming with life, if you only bother to look. To survive you have to adapt and be strong, but there is a pureness to the place, an elegance.
I wasn’t allowed in inside Koutoubia Mosque, but I was of course allowed to walk around the grounds. It’s a HUGE structure seemingly in the middle of the old city, and the Minaret is one of the tallest things around, so you always seem to be drawn to the Mosque.
I always assume everyone is already following me on Instagram, but from my follower count compared to my blog hit count that just isn’t the case! Please follow me on Instagram…seriously you will be the first to see travels AS they happen! Quite a bit, my Instagram feed is a sketch book of things to come on the blog! I really should put together a regular, scheduled Instagram post. I have further been thinking about starting to process some of my iPhone photos off the iPhone. I have always saved those strictly for processing on the phone, but I recently realized there are some really interesting shots on there!
The images below are from my travels between January and April of 2015 were shot on and processed on the iPhone. I didn’t ONLY use Instagram, but that is my general tool for uploading my iPhone travel works when I am traveling! Enjoy!
I didn’t think I would find myself so taken with the artwork of Marrakech, but it’s so omnipresent its hard to not be impressed. Perhaps it’s the stark backdrop of the desert, it frames everything. Everywhere I looked seemed to be contrasts. The Red City is rust red with bland buildings, but everywhere are orange trees and rose gardens. Islamic tradition shows no outward signs of wealth. Inside is another matter entirely. Looping geometric tile patterns, stained glass, woodwork like I have never seen. The craftsmanship of many of these homes, palaces and schools is absolutely incredible!
The color is hypnotic, so vibrant it forces you to look at it, even though you should be enjoying the plants. Jardin Majorelle is a strange place, with its terracotta pointed concrete sidewalks and phallic ode to Yves Saint Laurent. It is a decent collection of plants from all over and there is something serene and wonderful though all the tourist laden wash. Perhaps its the history of the place. It was home to two artists Jacques Majorelle, for which the garden is named and fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent who rescued the site from ruin. It is that history that held up this site…that and the impossible blue.
